Ben-DutkaYou may recall the controversy that arose when a leaked video portraying mostly full frontal nudity in Heavy Rain hit the Internet.
Well, we maintain that it's the very epitome of tasteful but that didn't stop the rumors that the game might be censored in certain regions. These rumors began almost instantly after the video became public, and they really hit a peak when we heard Quantic Dream might be including an interactive, motion-captured sex scene. Of course, the developers are aware of this danger so they may actually censor their own game for the regions where such content could prove to be a problem for ratings boards. During a recent interview , the project's executive producer Guillaume de Fondaumiere says that although Heavy Rain is designed for the mature audience, the game will be tailored to adapt to guidelines all across the world. Said Fondaumiere:
"We wanted to have pretty much the same game everywhere, be it Europe, in the United States, or in Japan, of course, with slight adaptions…but I don't think the changes we made will make a big difference; those are real modular things. We felt the need to adapt the content to the culture."
This avoids clashes with the aforementioned ratings boards – ideally – but it might also annoy gamers in certain areas of the world. For our part, absolutely none of the game should be censored; it should simply carry a rating that indicates it's only for mature audiences, like any rated "R" movie. Of course, some ratings in other regions don't even go that high – they still think all games are for kids, apparently – so that's another problem. But anyway, it seems we'll keep running into this until the rest of the planet realizes that games have grown up.
Related Game(s): Heavy Rain
I'm sure Quantic Dream could add an option for sensory or not but I don't need the sensory, I'm fine with nudity. It's a part of life at the end of the day.
I'm sure the world would be be a better place with common sensory.
But people lack it, and as a consequence Quantic Dream has to comprimise.
Well, I want the definitive version and I hope North Americans will get that one, otherwise, I'm importing.
I watched it the other day, its a good interview. I really look forward to experiencing this game. I hope a release date is announced by the end of the year.
So basically, there is going to be a normal version, and then there will be the Australian version?
Wait until we start seeing games censored for German release because of the new anti-violence laws being put through. Those laws are looking to push Crytek out of the country, as it envelops the making of violent content, not just the selling.
Australia has it rough, no doubt, but unchecked, these types of laws could end up costing us as consumers the most. There more marketable regions that demand specific standards and limitations, the closer we get to companies defaulting to a lowest common denominator target in their design of games. We have already seen this effect from the economic influence of the Wii and its truckloads of shovelware. But I think that is voluntary, and having an involuntary pressure on the industry will just add another blanket negative influence to the industry.
I've noticed when games get censored, it's usually not the NA version, but I guess that's not always true. Regardless of censorship, I'm sure the game will be great.
I believe the NA version of Indigo Prophecy was censored.
im not to worried about the NA release version, as was said its a very modest nudity being shown in the actual game…i mean if we can get GoW with a whole sex scene with no major repercussions this should be fine…however in the regions where it is still taboo to have nudity in a videogame , then thats where it will probably be censored
The NA version of Indigo Prophesy was censored. The european version had interactive sex scenes, that weren't present in the NA version.
The NA version of Siren Blood Curse was censored as well. It had less blood and gore than the EU and JP versions of the game. And the scene where Bella(the little girl) becomes a shibito was left out.
So there's a very real possibility that the NA version of Heavy Rain might get censored as well.
I should hope NA, EU and JP get the uncensored version. It's just ridiculous to treat video games as kid-only. I really feel sorry for AU, you know HR will be heavily edited AND they'll have to pay a fortune for it!
I will not buy a censored game, I'll import if I have to.
I hope I don't have to import the European version like I did the Witcher just to get the full game
I don't get it, why don't they just have the choice of turning off the nudity instead? So everyone is happy. I'm pretty sure people still ignore the Rated M on the front, like they did to all other games.
I hope they don't censor this game, I agree with you all, I'll import this game if I have to. I Think this could be the game that gets the AO ratings for console in the US.
one, yes, the world needs to realise games are grown up, and two, i think censorship may affect china and toher similar countries, foor obvious reasons. europe, maybe, the rating boards are a bit stupid over here.
Im sure the US version will get censored. We always do when it comes to video games. Seems strange considering the US is one of if not the top market for porn. Bring on the animated tits Quantic Dreams LOL!
Not that this game is all about the nudity, because it isn't, there is the small matter of the immersive storyline(that seems to be pushed to the background because of some well drawn tits), but it would bother me to think that as a 31yr old adult, someone who I don't know nor gave my permission to represent me, decided what I can or cannot appreciate in a game I'm choosing to pay my hard earned money for.
This game is targeted at an 'Adult' market. As long as it carry's an adult certificate (rated R / 18s) then I don't see where the problem is in leaving it uncut! There's plenty of real people nudity making it into the movies so why not some fake nudity in games? (hell the movies also have fake tits).
Hopefully the powers that be will be adult enough themselves and do the right thing here.
And one last thing, not that I have a problem with violence depicted in games (if I did then I'd have little or no games to play and I do love to play alot), even the most innocent of our games have us blasting thousands of baddies away with an array of assorted weapons, but I'd consider that to be more of a threat to the minds of gamers then a lil bit of nudity. However I feel we're all well enough adjusted at least in here to be able to tell the difference between the virtual world and reality. Well most of us anyway!
The Guy Game is the perfect example, So I have little doubt Heavy Rain will be censored. The ESRB can be backwards most the times, Just look at Halo, that game is an over exaggerated T rated game. That game has no business of being an M game. The Uncharted Series could be easily be an M game. ESRB needs a Overhaul.
"Motion-captured sex scene"….now that must of been some tricky sensor ball placement.
your comment reminds me of what happend with other games concering motion cap
You know that for MGS4 all the BB squad motion cap was done with the models fully nude.
And for the jackass videogame there was some very odd motion ball placements (ie. meatspin)
Shouldn't parents teach kids about sex since they are brought to this pathetic world they have created?. Censoring sex scene doens't make any sense to me. Video games are art, and art can't be sensor no matter what.
The Hot Coffee fiasco said it all — parents had no problems letting little Jimmy obliterate the entire LAPD (SAPD, but let's not pick nits) with a cache of extreme weapons. But the minute junior found a way to dry hump a girl within a virtual world, the backlash was so severe Take Two nearly went under. Strange, strange world we live in.
This is dumb, i can't even get thre game now. I don't think nudity is necesary.
I encourage everyone to head over to the quantic dream website and send them an e-mail. I told them that their game most definitely qualifies as art and art should never be censored, and at the very worst they should make an unedited version that would get an AO rating that we can buy if we feel mature enough for it.
looks like another game im importing, man ebays going to be blooming from my sales next year.
i had to completley absolutley piss myself laughing today at EB.
went to pick up borderlands and preorder ratchet and left for dead 2, while i was there i asked the manager if were getting the edited version or the original because valve appealed and i have not heard the decision.
than he had a massive smirk on his face and started laughing and told me your not going to believe this.
the whole reason the game got banned is because of the baseball bat, hitting zombies in the head causes their head to explode and the camera gets covered in blood.
thats why it got banned.
but wait for it.
theres a code your given if you preorder from EB to unlock the baseball bat and it does the same thing.
valve edited the game so it gets past, than if you preorder from EB the patch gets patched.
SHIFTY BASTARDS!
i love valve.
wow..an animated naked person…lets go crazy..what do you mean theres a real naked person on Tv? I dont care about that…
Pathetic.
What Quantic Dream should do is release both a rated and an unrated version of the game. It would please fans that get to buy the version they want, increase sales and make sure the game enjoys a larger market…